Latest news with #stateauthority
LBCI
01-08-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Bahaa Hariri calls for exclusive state control of arms on Lebanese Army's 80th anniversary
Marking the 80th anniversary of the Lebanese Army, businessman Bahaa Hariri emphasized the need to centralize all arms under state authority. In a message posted on X, Hariri wrote: 'On the 80th anniversary of the Lebanese Army, we honor the institution that represents national unity, honor, sacrifice, and loyalty. True sovereignty requires the state to exercise full authority over all Lebanese territory, and that weapons be held exclusively by our army. This is the only path to a strong and stable Lebanon.'
LBCI
01-08-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
PM Salam calls for exclusive state control of weapons on Army Day
On the occasion of Lebanese Army Day, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized the importance of consolidating state authority and limiting weapons possession to the Lebanese Armed Forces, in a message posted on X. 'One army for one people in one nation,' Salam wrote, paying tribute to the military's sacrifices and its role in safeguarding the country's sovereignty and independence. He honored the Lebanese army's personnel and fallen soldiers, describing the institution as 'the symbol of our sovereignty, the embodiment of our independence, and the ultimate guardian of our security.' The prime minister stressed that Lebanon's recovery hinges on ensuring that the army remains the sole legitimate bearer of arms. 'There can be no salvation for Lebanon without serious efforts to ensure that all weapons are in the hands of our army alone,' he stated. Salam also called for the full extension of the state's authority across Lebanese territory 'with its own forces,' in line with the Taif Agreement and the government's ministerial statement.
LBCI
18-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Syria sets deadline for 'small groups' to join Defense Ministry
Syria's Defense Minister has called on small armed groups that have yet to merge with the security apparatus to do so within 10 days or face unspecified measures, in a bid to consolidate state authority six months after Bashar al-Assad was toppled. A plethora of weapons outside government control has posed a challenge to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's efforts to establish control, as groups that both back him and oppose him remain armed. In a statement late on Saturday, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said "military units" had now been integrated into "a unified institutional framework", calling this an outstanding achievement. "We stress the need for the remaining small military groups to join the ministry within a maximum period of 10 days from the date of this announcement, to complete the efforts of unification and organization," he said. Reuters
Asharq Al-Awsat
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria Sets Deadline for ‘Small Groups' to Join Defense Ministry
Syria's defense minister has called on small armed groups that have yet to merge with the security apparatus to do so within 10 days or face unspecified measures, in a bid to consolidate state authority six months after Bashar al-Assad was toppled. A plethora of weapons outside government control has posed a challenge to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's efforts to establish control, as groups that both back him and oppose him remain armed. Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, in a statement late on Saturday, said "military units" had now been integrated into "a unified institutional framework", calling this a great achievement. "We stress the need for the remaining small military groups to join the ministry within a maximum period of 10 days from the date of this announcement, in order to complete the efforts of unification and organization," he said. He did not say which factions he was talking about. The statement did not seem aimed at the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a large Kurdish-led force in the northeast that signed an agreement with Sharaa earlier this year aimed at integration with state institutions. Damascus received a big diplomatic boost last week when US President Donald Trump met Sharaa and announced sanctions on Syria would be lifted. Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab has said the decision would support efforts "to consolidate security and stability and promote civil peace in Syria and the region". Armed opposition groups, like Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, fought Assad during the war agreed in December to dissolve into the Defense Ministry. Syria has faced several outbreaks of violence this year. In March, gunmen killed hundreds of members of the Alawite minority in revenge killings prompted by what the government described as deadly attacks by Assad-loyalists on its forces in the coastal region. The Syrian authorities conducted raids on Saturday targeting ISIS cells in Aleppo.
